Packaging containers



0,1968 K. H. mus 3,415,366

PACKAGING CONTAINERS Original Filed Jan. 4, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 2 INVENT OR K. H. LlLLlS PACKAGING CONTAINERS Dec. 10, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 4, 1963 INVENTOR KENNETH H. LILLIS ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1968 K. H. LILLIS 3,415,366

PACKAG ING CONTAINERS Original Filed Jan. 4, 1963 5 Sheds-Sheet 3 5 1 36 36 i I I h I V i E 35 35 INVENTOR KENNETH H. LILLIS ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1968 K. H. LILLIS 3,415,366

PACKAGING CONTAINERS 7 ori inal Filed Jan. 4, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l W- Y E 230 A INVENTOR.

5| KENNETH H. LILLIS ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1968 K31, mus 3,415,366

PACKAGING CONTAINERS Ori ginal Filed Jan. 4, 1965 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR KENNETH H. LILLIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,415,366 PACKAGING CONTAINERS Kenneth H. Lillis, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 249,463, Jan. 4, 1963. This application Nov. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 597,799 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package wherein a plurality of articles are arranged in layers on tray panels one of which serves as a supporting bottom of the package. Side and end walls of the package may be of relatively flexible material and are adhered to depending marginal edges of the tray panels and not to the articles within the package.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 249,463 filed Jan. 4, 1963 now abandoned.

This invention relates to a container either formed around preshaped contents or made in knocked down form to accommodate future contents.

Generally, there is provided a bottom panel of cardboard, paperboard or corrugated fibre-board or like relatively stifi material and of a size to conform to the outline of the bottom of an article or group of articles as sembled in packaging arrangement and placed thereon. A similarly constructed and shaped top panel covers the top of the article or assembled articles. The top and bottom panels respectively have downturned and upturned marginal flanges that embrace the edges of the container contents. Finally, a band of paper or like relatively flexible sheet material is wrapped around the sides and ends of the container contents with margins embracing the panel flanges and its ends overlapping each other and adhered or otherwise aflixed thereto. The various components may be provided with wax or resin types of coating to render them resistant to the penetration of moisture vapor.

The wall band may have fixed thereto longitudinally of its inner surface a tear cord or similar element for facilitating opening the container. Likewise, the top and bottom elements may be provided with tear cords whereby a relatively large portion thereof may be easily removed to provide access to the contents of the completed container. Alternatively or additionally, the wall band may be provided with longitudinally extending area reinforcements adapted to cover the chimes of cans when the container contents comprise two or more superimposed layers of cans. The area reinforcements can be formed (1) of ribbon like sheet material adhesively attached to the wall strip, or (2) by an overlap between two or more wall strips of less than wall height each, or (3) by longitudinally extending double folds of pleatlike form.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container that can be easily and economically formed around the container contents.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container of the character described having top and bottom relatively stiff panels with marginal vertically bent flanges and having side and end walls formed of a strip of relatively flexible material wrapped around and adhered to said flanges and at its ends to itself.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container of the type described having a longitudinally extending tear cord attached to the inner surface of the wall strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character set forth having a novel tear cord permitting the removal of an area of the assembled con- 7 tainer.

Patented Dec. 10, 1968 It is another object of the present invention to provide a container of the character disclosed in which the wall strip has reinforced areas to cover the chimes of cans when the contents comprise superimposed layers of cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character set forth having means whereby the same may be collapsed for shipping after assembly.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a blank foldable marginally to define a top or bottom panel;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a bottom panel;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of a wall strip having a tear cord afiixed thereto;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the assembling of the top and bottom panels with rows of stacked packages as the container contents;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the assembled elements of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a container completed except for one end thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the completed container of FIGURES 1 to 6, inclusive;

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view in section taken on line 88 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a modified form of the container;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the wall portion only of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is an end elevational view of the container of FIGURE 9 in section taken on line 11-11 of FIG- URE 9;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a piece of the wall material used in the container of FIGURES 9 and 11;

FIGURE 13 is a View similar to FIGURE 12 illustrating the construction of the band material;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of a modified form of the band material;

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a further modification of the band material;

FIGURE 16 is a plan view of a horizontal panel used in a further form the invention may assume;

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of such further form in assembled condition;

FIGURE 18 is a view of the container illustrated in FIGURE 17 showing the same in partially collapsed condition;

FIGURE 19 is a perspective view of a further form the invention may take, showing the same with both ends open;

FIGURE 20 is a view similar to FIGURE 19 but showing the same with one thereof in closed position; and,

FIGURE 21 is a perspective view of the container of FIGURE 19 but showing the same partially collapsed for shipping.

With reference to FIGURES 1 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings, numeral 20 generally designates an embodiment of a container of the present invention. Container 20 comprises a pair of die cut and scored panels 21 and 22 of cardboard, paperboard, corrugated fiibreboard or equivalent relatively stiff carton material which may be coated, if desired, as above set forth. Panels 21 and 22 have the same sizes and shapes and may be formed from stock of the same or different weights and textu.res;-as desired. Both top and bottom panels 21 and 22 have marginal strips 23, FIGURES 1 and 4, defined by scored fold lines 24. Strips 23 are foldable down and up over the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the assembled stacked pack- 0 ages 25 to provide package retaining and wall anchoring formed by wrapping a band 28 of paper or other suitably relatively flexible sheet material peripherally around the assemblage of FIGURE 5. FIGURE 6 shows the wrappering operation three-fourths completed, while FIGURE 7 shows the completed container with ends 29 and 30 of band 28 overlapped and adhered or otherwise fastened to each other. The outer faces of flanges 26 and 27 and/ or the inner margins of band 28 may be coated with any suitable adhesive at any time prior to or during the assembling steps illustrated in FIGURES 4 to 7, inclusive, to effect a permanent joining of said portions or they may be interconnected by staples, joint bridging adhesive staples, etc. Band 28 forming the wall may be of polyethylene whereby the same may be heat sealed to the remaining components thus eliminating the necessity for using an additional adhesive. Alternately or additionally, the assemblage of FIGURE 7 may be permanentized by binding with cord, ribbon or wire and/ or by covering with wrapping paper or like sheet material.

To facilitate opening of the container of FIGURE 7, a tear cord 31 may be adhered to the inner surface of band 28 longitudinally and medially thereof. Cord 31 desirably has a graspable extension 32 and band 28 is provided with a notch 33 where the cord emerges to facilitate the starting of the tearing operation.

In the species of FIGURES 9 to 12, inclusive, the con tainer contents are a plurality of layers of cans 34 arranged in a plurality of matching layers, each layer having several longitudinal and transverse rows of cans. The component parts of the container designated by primed numerals correspond in construction with that of the parts of the container of FIGURES 1 to 8, inclusive, indicated by the same numerals unprimed.

Since cans 34 have protruding chimes 35 which under some conditions would tear or wear through wall band 36, it is desirable to afiix to the inner face of wall band 36 a reinforcing and/ or cushioning strip 37 of paper, felt, rubber, etc. extending longitudinally of the wall band so as to overlies the chimes. If container 20 has three or more layers of cans 34, the number of strips 37 would be appreciably increased and vertically spaced.

In FIGURE 10, there is shown additional reinforcing elements 38 in the form of angle strips of cardboard or paperboard and the like, adhered to the inner surfaces of each corner of wall band 36 whereby added resistance to compression forces and abrasion are obtained.

FIGURE 14 disclosed a modified form of the reinforced Wall band. Here, wall band 39 is medially and longitudinally double folded at 40 to provide a pleatlike cushioning and/or reinforcing strip corresponding to the added strip 37 in FIGURES 9 to 13, inclusive. Folds 40 may be adhesively fixed to each other, if desired.

In FIGURE 15, wall strip 41 is formed of a plurality of narrower strips 42 and 43 overlapped and desirably adhered to each other at 44 to provide a reinforcing and/ or cushioning strip corresponding in function to strips 37 and 40 previously described.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 16 to 18, inclusive, there are provided identical top and bottom panels, one of which is indicated at 22c: and each of which is provided with marginal strips 23a. These panels may he formed of stock similar to that above described with reference to panels 22 and may be treated or coated to make them moisture vapor resistant.

A single band 28a of paper or other suitably flexible sheet material is extended about one end and two sides of panels 22a, as shown in FIGURE 17, and adhered to the adjacent marginal strips 23a by means of suitable adhesive. Alternatively, band 28a may be formed of polyethylene or similar moisture resistant materials, as for example, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride; tripolymers of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and acrylonitrile; polypropylene; copolymers of of ethylene and vinyl acetate, etc. and heat sealed to the marginal strips 23a. In any event, ends 29a and 30a of band 28a extend a suflicient distance from the remaining open end of the now formed container so that after the container is packed or loaded with desired contents, the ends 29a and 30a may be overlapped and adhered to one another by an adhesive or, if formed of polyethylene or similar materials, may be heat sealed.

That portion of band 28a which forms the side panels of the completed container structure is angularly scored, as indicated at 50, in each case, adjacent the closed end of the container structure whereby to form a pair of bellows generally indicated at 51 and the entire band 28a is centrally and longitudinally scored as indicated at 52.

If desired, a tear cord 53 may be embedded in customary manner in one of panels 22a, as shown in FIG- URE 17, which cord extends throughout the peripheral portion of such panel adjacent the edges thereof, one end protruding as indicated at 54 so that it may be grasped and pulled when it is desired to open the closed container whereby substantially the entire area of the panel to which it is attached may be removed, thus permitting easy access to the contents of the container. Moreover, this container may also, prior to filling the same, be folded as shown in FIGURE 18 so that quantities thereof may be stacked for shipping in a minimum of space.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 19 to 21, inclusive, it will be seen that there is again provided a pair of identical top and bottom panels 22b having marginal strips 23b.

In this case a pair of bands 28b is adhered to strips 23b of the sides only of each of panels 22b as shown in FIGURE 19. Both bands 28b are centrally and longitudinally scored as indicated at 55 and both are vertically scored at their juncture points with the ends of panels 22b as shown at 56. And in this form of the invention it will be seen that after bands 28b have been attached to strips 23b as aforesaid, that the container may be closed at one end, as shown in FIGURE 20; by overlapping and adhering the free portions of bands 28b at that end of the container whereupon the container may be filled after which the other end thereof may be closed in similar manner.

On the other hand, if it is desired to stack the containers for storage or shipping, the containers as shown in FIGURE 19 may be collapsed along fold lines 55 as shown in FIGURE 21 and when ready to use may be restored to the position shown in FIGURE 19 and filled and closed as above set forth.

While only certain forms of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and/ or equivalents may be made and employed without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, it is considered to be within the purview of this invention if the aforesaid panels 21-22, 21'-22, 22a and 22b are oriented to a vertical rather than a horizontal position for certain types of packaging. Moreover, if desirable, the cutaway corners of these panels as clearly shown in FIGURES 1, 4 and 16 could remain so as to provide corner strengthening tabs.

What is claimed is:

1. In a container for shipment, storage, display and the like of articles comprising in combination support means including a relatively stiff panel for supporting thereon a plurality of articles,

closure means including an article-encircling wall of relatively flexible sheet material, and

means connecting said closure means to said support means and subjecting said wall to tensile force when said articles are disposed in rows and layers relative to said panel and are embracingly engaged by said wall for containing said articles and imparting rigidity to the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said sheet material is thermoplastic and said connecting means includes a heat seal.

3. A package for shipment, storage, display and the like of articles comprising in combination a plurality of articles,

support means including a relatively stiff panel supporting said articles disposed thereon in rows and layers,

closure means including an article-encircling wall of relatively flexible sheet material, and

means connecting said closure means to said panel and subjecting said wall to tensile force while securing 10 said wall in embracing engagement with said articles for containing the same and for imparting rigidity to the package.

4. A package according to claim 3 wherein said sheet material is thermoplastic and said connecting means includes a heat seal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,076 8/1915 Stokes 229--87 1,262,299 4/ 1918 Beling 2287 3; 1 16,869 1/ 1964 Kauffeld 22948 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner. 

